The Magnetoviscous Effect of a Biocompatible Ferrofluid at High Shear Rates

Ferrofluids receive growing importance in the biomedical area, leading to the requirement of a detailed understanding of the flow behavior of the fluids, especially under the influence of external magnetic fields as used in those applications. It has been shown that biocompatible ferrofluids used in this regard show a strong magnetoviscous effect-a rise of viscosity, if an external magnetic field is applied-for low shear rates and comparatively weak magnetic fields. Nevertheless, in most of the potential applications in the biomedical context, the ferrofluids will be exposed to high shear rates and strong magnetic fields. Therefore, it is of special interest to characterize the fluids under such conditions and to measure the viscosity for several magnetic field strengths and for high shear rates to enable exact predictions of the flow behavior and therefore enabling an effective and safe application.